Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 2901694 2017-05-10
DELEGATING VIDEO GAME TASKS VIA SHARING SERVICE
BACKGROUND
[0001] In recent years, the adoption of computing devices such as
smartphones, tablets,
and electronic book readers ("e-readers") has exposed many people to video
games. This
is in part due to the network-connectivity offered by these devices, and the
robust
application ecosystems that support the download of video games and other
applications
to these devices. As a result, video games have become a popular past-time for
many
people.
[0002] Video games can be challenging for even the most seasoned of
players. The
World Wide Web provides access to many forums, blogs, and other information
sources
that players can use to gain an advantage in a video game or learn how to
complete certain
game tasks, such as completing a level or beating a boss character. There are,
however,
still occasions when a player lacks the skill to complete a game task. This
can be
disheartening to the player and may result in the player giving up, even if
the player
genuinely wants to proceed beyond the insurmountable game task.
[0003] It is respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure
made herein is
presented.
SUMMARY
In one aspect, there is provided a method for delegating a game task, the
method
comprising:
executing, by a first computing device, a game application;
receiving, by the first computing device, a delegation request from a first
user to
delegate play of the game application to complete a game task;
in response to the delegation request, generating, by the first computing
device, an
invitation to complete the game task on behalf of the first user;
causing, by the first computing device, the invitation to be made available
for
acceptance;
receiving, by the first computing device, a notification of acceptance
indicating to
the first user that the invitation has been accepted; and
transferring, by the first computing device, exclusive control of the game
application from the first computing device to a second computing device so
that the second
computing device can be utilized in an attempt to complete the game task on
behalf of the
first user.
In one aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium comprising
computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a first computing
device, cause
the first computing device to perform operations comprising:
receiving game control data for controlling an action within a game
application, the
game control data being associated with game control input received by a
second
computing device for completion of a game task delegated by a first user
associated with
the first computing device to a second user associated with the second
computing device;
and
transferring exclusive control of the game control data to the second
computing
device so that the second computing device can be utilizied to perform the
action.
In one aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions
stored thereon which, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the
apparatus to
perform operations comprising:
executing a game application,
receiving a delegation request from a first user to delegate play of the game
application to a second user so that the second user can attempt to complete a
game
task on behalf of the first user,
initiating a sharing session between the apparatus and a second apparatus
associated with the second user, and
transferring, via the sharing session, exclusive control of the game
application
from the first apparatus to the second apparatus so that the second user can
attempt to
complete the game task on behalf of the first user using the second apparatus.
In one aspect, there is provided a method for delegating a game task, the
method
comprising:
executing, by a first computing device, a first instance of a game
application;
receiving, by the first computing device, a delegation request to delegate
play of
the game application to complete a game task;
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transferring, by the first computing device, control of the game application
from
the first computing device to a second computing device, wherein the
transferring includes
sending game state data of the game application from the first computing
device to the
second computing device;
receiving, by the first computing device, game control data generated by the
second
computing device executing a second instance of the game application; and
providing the game control data to the first instance of the game application
to
perform at least a portion of the game task.
In one aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium comprising
computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a first computing
device, cause
the first computing device to perform operations comprising:
executing a first instance of a game application;
receiving game control data for controlling an action within the game
application,
the game control data being associated with game control input received by a
second
computing device for completion of a game task delegated by a first user
associated with
the first computing device to a second user associated with the second
computing device;
and
transferring exclusive control of the game control data to the second
computing
device so that the second computing device can be utilized to perform the
action.
In one aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions
stored thereon which, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the
apparatus to
perform operations comprising:
executing a first instance of a game application,
receiving a delegation request from a first user to delegate play of the game
application to a second user so that the second user can attempt to complete a
game task
on behalf of the first user,
initiating a sharing session between the apparatus and a second apparatus
associated
with the second user, and
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transferring, via the sharing session, exclusive control of the game
application
from the first apparatus to the second apparatus so that the second user can
attempt to
complete the game task on behalf of the first user using the second apparatus.
In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method for creating a
sharing session, the computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a call from an application to a method exposed by a sharing service
application programming interface ("API"), the call requesting creation of a
sharing
session;
in response to receiving the call to the method exposed by the sharing service
API,
connecting to the sharing service,
initiating creation of the sharing session via the sharing service, and
joining the sharing session; and
receiving data on a first computing device from a second computing device via
the sharing session, wherein the data indicates a difference between a first
screen output
displayed on a display of the second computing device and a second screen
output
displayed on the display of the second computing device, the difference being
calculated
by a screen data differential engine.
In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method for creating a
sharing session, the computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a call from an application to a method exposed by a sharing service
application programming interface ("API"), the call requesting creation of a
sharing
session;
at least partly in response to receiving the call to the method exposed by the
sharing service API,
connecting to the sharing service,
initiating creation of the sharing session via the sharing service, and
joining the sharing session;
receiving data via the sharing session, wherein the data includes screen data
captured from visual output displayed by one or more displays associated with
a second
computing device connected to the sharing session and the data identifies a
difference
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between a current screen data displayed on the one or more displays and a
previous screen
data displayed on the one or more displays;
receiving input to control the application;
sending application data associated with the input to the sharing session; and
receiving a second data associated with screen output of a third computing
device from the sharing session, wherein the second data comprises a
difference between
a current screen output of the third computing device and a previous screen
output of the
third computing device that has already been sent to the sharing service, the
difference
being calculated by a screen data differential engine operating on the third
computing
device.
In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method for creating a
sharing session, the computer-implemented method comprising:
exposing a sharing application programming interface (API) for creating the
sharing session;
receiving a call to a method exposed by the sharing API, the call requesting
creation of the sharing session; and
in response to receiving the call to the method exposed by the sharing API,
initiating creation of the sharing session by connecting to a sharing
service that is configured to create and manage the sharing session, and
joining the sharing session;
displaying, on a first display associated with a first computing device, (i) a
first
screen output at a first time and (ii) a second screen output at a second
time, wherein first
screen data represents the first screen output and second screen data
represents the second
screen output;
transmitting, from the first computing device to a second computing device,
screen data via the sharing session, the screen data indicating a difference
between the first
screen data and the second screen data, the difference being calculated by a
screen data
differential engine.
In one aspect, there is provided an apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
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a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions
stored thereon which, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the
apparatus to
perform operations comprising:
receiving a call from an application to a method exposed by a sharing service
application programming interface ("API"), the call requesting creation of a
sharing
session;
in response to receiving the call to the method exposed by the sharing service
API,
connecting to the sharing service, and
initiating creation of the sharing session via the sharing service,
joining the sharing session; and
receiving data via the sharing session, the data including a difference
between
current screen data displayed on a display associated with the second
apparatus and
previous screen data displayed on the display associated with the second
apparatus, the
difference being calculated by a screen data differential engine.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method
comprising:
executing, by a first computing device, a first instance of a game
application;
receiving, by the first computing device, a delegation request to delegate
play of
the game application to complete a game task;
transferring, by the first computing device, control of the game application
from
the first computing device to a second computing device so that the second
computing
device controls the game application during a time period, wherein the
transferring
includes sending game state data of the game application from the first
computing device
to the second computing device;
receiving, by the first computing device during the time period, game control
data
generated by the second computing device during the time period the second
computing
device controls the game application; and
providing the game control data to the first instance of the game application
to
perform at least a portion of the game task.
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According to another aspect 'of the present invention, there is provided a
system
comprising:
one or more processors;
at least one computer-readable storage medium to store computer-executable
instructions which, in response to being performed by the one or more
processors, cause
the system to perform operations comprising:
executing a first instance of a game application;
transferring control of the game application from the system to a second
system so that the second system controls the game application during a time
period, wherein the transferring control includes sending game state data of
the
game application from the system to the second system;
receiving, during the time period, game control data generated by the
second system during the time period the second computing system controls the
game application; and
providing at least a portion of the game control data to the first instance of
the game application to perform at least a portion of a game task.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-
transitory computer-readable storage medium to store computer-executable
instructions
which, in response to being performed by a first computing device, cause the
first
computing device to perform operations comprising:
executing a first instance of a game application;
transferring control of the game application from the first computing device
to a
second computing device so that the second computing device controls the game
application during a time period, wherein the transferring control includes
sending game
state data of the game application from the first computing device to the
second
computing device;
receiving game control data generated by the second computing device during
the
time period the second computing device controls the game application; and
providing at least a portion of the game control data to the first instance of
the
game application to perform at least a portion of a game task.
If
CA 2901694 2020-04-08
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an illustrative operating
environment for
the various embodiments disclosed herein.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing aspects of a sharing component
for sharing
screen data and application data associated with one or more applications
being executed
by a computing device, according to an illustrative embodiment.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing aspects of a sharing service,
according to an
illustrative embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for
delegating a game
task, according to an illustrative embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for accepting
delegation
of a game task, according to another illustrative embodiment.
100091 FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for sharing
game control
data, according to an illustrative embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for
interrupting game
control delegated by a first user to a second user, according to an
illustrative embodiment.
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[0011] HG. 8 a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for sharing screen
data,
according to an illustrative embodiment.
[0012] HG. 9 a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for providing game
control
data without the use of a sharing service, according to an illustrative
embodiment.
[0013] HG. 10 a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for sharing game
state data,
according to an illustrative embodiment.
[0014] HG. 11 a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for exposing a
sharing
service application programming interface ("API"), according to an
illustrative embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 12 is a computer architecture diagram showing one illustrative
computer
hardware architecture for use in computing devices configured to implement the
concepts and
technologies disclosed herein in one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The following detailed description is directed to delegating video
game tasks via a
sharing service. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a first computing
device is
configured to execute a game application. The first computing device can
receive a request
from a first user to delegate play of the game application to a second user so
that the second
user can attempt to complete a game task on behalf of the first user by
controlling the game
application from a second computing device that is associated with the second
user. Control
of the game application can be made available from the second computing device
to the first
computing device via a sharing session that is created and managed by a
sharing service to
which the first computing device and the second computing device are
connected.
[0017] The following detailed description is directed to an application
programming
interface ("API") for a sharing service. According to one aspect disclosed
herein, a
computing device executes an application that is configured to call a sharing
service API to
create a sharing session via a sharing service. The application can call the
sharing service
API to utilize one or more methods exposed by the sharing service API to
connect to the
sharing service and initiated the creation of the sharing session. The
computing device can
join the sharing session with one or more other computing devices. The
computing device
can receive data via the sharing session from one or more of the other
computing devices.
The data can include screen data and/or application data.
[0018] It should be also appreciated that the subject matter presented
herein may be
implemented as a computer process, a computer-controlled apparatus, a
computing system, or
an article of manufacture, such as a computer-readable storage medium. These
and various
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other features will become apparent from a reading of the following disclosure
and a review
of the associated drawings.
100191 While the subject matter described herein is presented in the
general context of
program modules that execute on one or more computing devices, those skilled
in the art will
recognize that other implementations may be performed in combination with
other types of
program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs,
components,
data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks
or implement
particular abstract data types.
[0020] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the subject matter
described herein
may be practiced on or in conjunction with other computer system
configurations beyond
those described below, including multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based
or
programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers,
handheld
computers, personal digital assistants, tablet computers, electronic book
readers, wireless
telephone devices, special-purposed hardware devices, network appliances, or
the like. The
embodiments described herein may also be practiced in distributed computing
environments,
where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through
a
communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program
modules may be
located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
[0021] In the following detailed description, references are made to the
accompanying
drawings that form a part hereof, and that show, by way of illustration,
specific embodiments
or examples. The drawings herein are not drawn to scale. Like numerals
represent like
elements throughout the several figures.
[0022] Referring now to FIG. 1, aspects of one operating environment 100
for the various
embodiments presented herein will be described. The operating environment 100
shown in
FIG. 1 includes a computing device A 102A and a computing device B 102B, each
operating
as a part of and/or in communication with a communications network ("network")
104.
According to some embodiments, the computing device A 102A and the computing
device B
102B can each include a user computing device, such as a tablet computing
device, a
personal computer ("PC"), a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook
computer, a
cellular phone or smartphone, other mobile computing devices, a personal
digital assistant
("PDA"), video game system, set-top box, smart television, or the like.
[0023] According to some other embodiments, the functionality of the
computing device
A 102A and/or the computing device B 102B can be provided by a cloud-based
computing
platform that can be provided by one or more application servers, Web servers,
data storage
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systems, network appliances, dedicated hardware devices, and/or other server
computers or
computing devices. In these embodiments, the computing device A 102A and/or
the
computing device B 102B can include minimal hardware for connection to the
cloud-based
computing platform via the network 104. For purposes of illustrating and
describing the
concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the functionality of the computing
device A
102A and the computing device B 102B is described herein as being provided by
a user
computing device. In light of the alternative embodiments of the computing
device A 102A
and the computing device B 102B described above, it should be understood that
this example
is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0024] The computing device A 102A and the computing device B 102B can
communicate via the network 104 to access various services described herein.
For example,
the computing device A 102A and the computing device B 102B can access a
sharing service
106 and/or a gaming service 108. The functionality of the sharing service 106
and the
gaming service 108 can be provided by one or more application servers, Web
servers, data
storage systems, network appliances, dedicated hardware devices, and/or other
server
computers or computing devices.
[0025] The sharing service 106 can be configured to execute one or more
sharing
applications 110 to create and manage one or more sharing sessions 112 during
which the
computing device A 102A can share the entirety or specific portions of a
screen A 114A that
is being locally presented by the computing device A 102A via one or more
displays, such as
a display A 116A, with the computing device B 102B over the network 104.
Likewise,
during the sharing session 112, the computing device B 102B can share the
entirety or
specific portions of a screen B 114B that is being locally presented by the
computing device
B 102B via one or more displays, such as a display 116B, with the computing
device A 102A
over the network 104. Although only two computing devices are shown, the
sharing session
112 created by the sharing service 106 may support connections to any number
of computing
devices so that one or more users utilizing the various computing devices can
share data with
one another. As such, the illustrated example is merely illustrative, and
should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0026] The sharing session 112 can be configured to support one-way
communication
whereby a designated source device is able to send data to one or more
designated destination
devices, but the one or more designated destination devices are unable to send
data to the
designated source device. Alternatively, the sharing session 112 can be
configured to support
two-way communication whereby two or more computing devices are able send data
to and
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receive data from one another. As such, the sharing session 112 can be used
for collaborative
or sharing-only purposes.
[0027] In some embodiments, a user can provision another user with his or
her security
credentials, such as, but not limited to, username and password. For example,
a first user can
provide his or her security credentials so that the second user can control
one or more
applications executing on a device associated with the first user via the
sharing service 106
and/or gain access to other services such as the gaming service 108 on behalf
of the first user.
It is contemplated that the security credentials may utilize any single-factor
or multi-factor
authentication scheme.
[0028] As used herein, a "screen" refers to the visual content and the
arrangement of that
content being output by a computing device for display on one or more
displays. In other
words, a "screen" is what is being displayed on one or more displays that are
connected to or
otherwise in communication with a computing device. A screen can include a
snapshot of
what is being displayed on one or more displays at a particular instance of
time. A screen can
additionally or alternatively include a data stream of what is being displayed
on one or more
displays over time. The latter case of a screen is sometimes referred to
herein as a "screen
stream."
[0029] In addition to screen sharing, the sharing service 106 can provide
application data
sharing, whereby data associated with one or more applications that are being
executed by a
computing device can be shared with one or more other computing devices that
are connected
to the sharing session 112. Application data can include, but is not limited
to, data derived
from user input to an application being executed by a computing device and
other data output
by the application in response to the input. Application data can be shared
discretely or as a
stream of application data. In some embodiments, application data includes
game control
data associated with input received to control a game application, as will be
described in
greater detail below.
[0030] The sharing service 106 can create the sharing session 112 so that
the computing
device A 102A can share data (shown as shared data A 118A) with the computing
device B
102B. Likewise, the sharing service 106 can create the sharing session 112 so
that the
computing device B 102B can share data (shown as shared data B 118B) with the
computing
device B 102B. As explained above, however, the illustrated example is merely
illustrative,
and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
100311 The gaming service 108 can be configured to facilitate user
interaction with one or
more gaming service applications 120 that are executed by the gaming service
108. The
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gaming service application(s) 120 can provide features such as, but not
limited to, online
cooperative multiplayer gaming, online competitive multiplayer gaming, chat
features,
messaging features, online leaderboards, achievement tracking features,
advertising features,
marketplace features, and friends list features. The gaming service
application(s) 120 can
additionally or alternatively provide or assist in providing a game task
delegation feature, as
will be described in greater detail below.
100321 The computing device 102A can be configured to execute an operating
system
122 and one or more application programs such as, for example, a game
application 124, a
gaming service application programming interface ("API") 126, a sharing
service API 128, a
sharing component 130, other application 131, and/or other application
programs or
components. The operating system 122 is a computer program for controlling the
operation
of the computing device A 102A. The application programs are executable
programs
configured to execute on top of the operating system 122 to provide various
functionality
described herein. Although the computing device B 102B is not shown in the
same
configuration as the computing device A 102A, it should be understood that the
computing
device B 102B may be identically configured or may have more or less
application programs
and/or components than are illustrated for the computing device A 102A.
[0033] The game application 124 can be configured to provide an interactive
video
gaming experience whereby one or more players can control or otherwise
interact with visual
content that is presented on a display. The visual content can include, but is
not limited to,
characters, levels, maps, areas, stages, worlds, spaces, shapes, and objects.
The visual
content can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or a combination thereof
The game
application 124 can also provide audial content such as, but not limited to,
music, speech, and
sound effects. The game application 124 can also provide haptic feedback, such
as vibration
feedback.
100341 The game application 124 can be designed to have one or more game
tasks that
the player(s) can complete. A game task can generally include anything one or
more players
can do by interacting with the visual content provided by the game application
124. As a
simple example, a game task might be for a player to control a virtual
character to traverse a
level from a pre-defined starting point to a pre-defined end point so as to
complete or "beat"
the level. A further game task using this example might be to control the
virtual character to
traverse a level while avoiding contact with certain objects or characters
(e.g., enemies). It
should be understood that these examples are illustrative, and should not be
construed as
being limiting in any way.
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[0035] The game application 124 can also be designed to have one or more
objectives
that can be completed by the player(s). An objective is a game task that is
defined by a
developer of the game application 124. In other words, an objective is a goal
or purpose of
the game application 124. The game application 124 may have multiple
objectives. An
objective can be discrete in that it is not linked in any way to another
objective.
Alternatively, an objective can be linked or otherwise combined with one or
more other
objectives.
[0036] In some embodiments, the game application 124 provides a sandbox in
which the
player(s) can create their own game tasks, which may be ongoing or fleeting
for the player(s).
The sandbox may be provided in addition to established objectives or in lieu
thereof.
100371 The game application 124 can be designed to have one or more
achievements. An
achievement is an accolade provided to a player or group of players in
recognition of a
particular interaction with the game application 124. An achievement can be as
simple as
starting the game application 124 for the first time (or some other number of
times),
interacting with certain features provided by the game application 124 (e.g.,
entering a certain
menu or selecting a certain menu option such as a "hard" difficulty level), or
completing one
or more objectives. When a player performs a particular interaction that is
tied to an
achievement, the achievement becomes "unlocked." The game application 124 may
notify
the player(s) of the "unlocked" achievement by presenting an achievement
alert. An
achievement alert can be presented in a visual, audial, and/or haptic manner.
The act of
unlocking an achievement may be a game task. Unlocking an achievement may
enable the
ability to unlock additional achievements.
[0038] Achievements can be defined by the developers(s) of the game
application 124, by
the gaming service 108, or by some other entity, including, for example, a
player. In some
embodiments, achievements are managed locally by the computing device A 102A,
for
example, by the game application 124, by the operating system 122, or by some
other
application program being executed by the computing device A 102A. In some
other
embodiments, achievements are managed remotely in a cloud-based configuration
by the
gaming service 108. In these embodiments, a player can set up an account with
the gaming
service 108. The account can include user identification and one or more
security credentials
to maintain security of the account. The achievements earned by a player can
be associated
with his or her account with the gaming service 108 so that, for example, if
the player
changes to a different computing device, the player can still access his or
her achievements
and be able to earn new achievements on the different computing device.
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[0039] The game application 124 can be designed to have one or more
leaderboards. A
leaderboard can track the completion of an objective in a manner so as to rank
the completion
of an objective among players. For example, an objective may be to obtain the
highest score
in a finite amount of time or using a finite number of lives, and a
leaderboard associated with
this objective can include a ranking of scores in a particular order, such as
a list of scores
ranked in descending order. In some embodiments, leaderboards are managed
locally by the
computing device A 102A, for example, by the game application 124, by the
operating
system 122, or by some other application program being executed by the
computing device A
102A. In some other embodiments, leaderboards are managed remotely in a cloud-
based
configuration by the gaming service 108. In these embodiments, a player can
elect to upload
or the game application 124 can automatically upload scores achieved by the
player to the
gaming service 108. The gaming service 108 may present leaderboards for public
viewing
and/or private viewing, such as by a group of players selected by the player
that elected to
upload the score. The scores earned by a player can be associated with his or
her account
with the gaming service 108 so that if the player changes to a different
computing device, the
player can still try to beat his or her high score on the leaderboard using
the same user
identification.
[0040] Input to the game application 124 can be provided via one or more
input devices
that are connected to or otherwise in communication with the computing device
A 102A.
Input to the game application 124 can be used to control aspects of the game
application 124,
such as, for example, controlling characters, navigating menus, and control
towards
completion of one or more game tasks. An input device can include, but is not
limited to, a
keyboard, mouse, joystick, game pad, touchpad, resistive touchscreen,
capacitive
touchscreen, multi-touch enabled touchscreen, still camera, video camera,
microphone,
infrared camera, motion control device, global positioning system ("GPS")
sensor, proximity
sensor, motion sensor (e.g., accelerometer), ambient light sensor, moisture
sensor, gyroscope,
dance pad, steering wheel, flight yoke, pedal, musical instrument, toy musical
instrument, and
sports equipment. In some embodiments, one or more input devices are built-in
to the
computing device A 102A, such as a tablet computing device with a multi-touch
enabled
touchscreen. In some other embodiments, one or more input devices are
connected to the
computing device A 102A using hardwire and/or wireless connection. The
physical
components and/or protocols utilized to establish and maintain one or more
connections
between an input device and the computing device A 102A can be standards-
based, non-
standards-based, or proprietary.
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[0041] The computing device A 102A can be configured to present the visual
content
provided by the game application 124 on one or more display devices that are
built-in to or
external to and in communication with the computing device A 102A, such as the
display A
116A. The display A 116A is an output device configured to present information
in a visual
form. In particular, the display A 116A may present visual content provided by
the game
application 124, graphical user interface ("GUI") elements, text, images,
video, notifications,
virtual buttons, virtual keyboards, messaging data, Internet content, device
status, time, date,
calendar data, preferences, map information, location information, and any
other information
that is capable of being presented in a visual form. In some embodiments, the
display A
116A is a liquid crystal display ("LCD") utilizing any active or passive
matrix technology
and any backlighting technology (if used). In some embodiments, the display A
116A is an
organic light emitting diode ("OLED") display. Other display types are
contemplated. In
addition, the display A 116A can include an input device such as a touchscreen
or multi-
touch enabled touchscreen. The display B 116B can be likewise configured.
100421 The game application 124 can be configured to call one more methods
exposed by
the gaming service API 126 to access the gaming service 108 via the network
104 to take
advantage of one or more of the features provided by the gaming service 108.
The game
application 124 can also be configured to call one or more methods exposed by
the sharing
service API 128 to access the sharing service 106 via the network 104. The
sharing service
API 128 can access the sharing component 130 to provide data to the sharing
service 106 and
receive data from the sharing service 106 during a sharing session. The
sharing component
130 is illustrated and described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2.
[0043] As described above, the game application 124 can provide one or more
game tasks
that can be completed by one or more players. For one reason or another, a
player may be
unable to complete a game task. For example, the game task may be too
difficult for the
player to complete, the player may be disinterested in the game task but is
interested in a
subsequent game task, the player lacks the time required to complete the game
task, or for
any number of other reasons. As a solution, the player can elect to delegate
the game task to
another player so that the other player can complete the task on behalf of the
player that
delegated the game task.
[0044] In the illustrated example, a player A 132A that is playing the game
application
124 on the computing device A 102A can elect to delegate the game task to a
player B 132B
that is associated with the computing device B 102B. The player B 132B can
accept or deny
the game task. If the player B 132B accepts the game task, the player B 132B
can attempt to
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complete the game task on behalf of the player A 132A utilizing the computing
device B
102B.
[0045] In some embodiments, the computing device A 102A communicates with
the
sharing service 106 to create the sharing session 112 to share the shared data
A 118A,
wherein the shared data A 118A includes a screen stream of the game
application 124 being
executed by the computing device A 102A. In these embodiments, the player B
132B can
provide input to the computing device B 102B via one or more input devices
that are
connected to or otherwise in communication with the computing device B 102B to
play the
game application 124 in an effort to complete the game task delegated by the
player A 132A
to the player B 132B. In this manner, the player B 132B can assist the player
A 132A to
complete the game task, after which the sharing session 112 can be torn down
and the player
A 132A can resume playing the game application 124 after the game task has
been completed
for him or her by the player B 132B.
[0046] In some other embodiments, the computing device A 102A communicates
with
the sharing service 106 to create the sharing session 112 to share the shared
data A 118A,
wherein the shared data A 118A includes a game state of the game application
124 before a
delegated game task has been completed. In these embodiments, the computing
device B
102B receives the game state via the sharing session 112 and launches the same
game
application on the computing device B 102B to load the game state. The game
state is loaded
and the player B 132B can provide input to the computing device B 102B via one
or more
input devices that are connected to or otherwise in communication with the
computing device
B 102B to play the game application in an effort to complete the game task
delegated by the
player A 132A. After the game task is completed, the computing device B 102B
can save a
new game state of the game application 124 and can send the new game state as
part of the
shared data B 118 B over the shared session 112 to the computing device A
102A. In this
manner, the player B 132B can assist the player A 132A to complete the game
task, after
which the computing device A 102A can load the new game state and the player A
132A can
resume playing the game application 124 from a state that includes the
completed game task.
[0047] In some embodiments, the player B 132B is provisioned to play the
game
application 124 on behalf of the player A 132A using the user identification
of the player A
132A. As such, achievements, leaderboards, and other credits associated with
the completion
of a game task can be credited to the player A 132A instead of the player B
132B, although it
is contemplated that both the player A 132A and the player B 132B may be
acknowledged for
completion of the game task. The player B 132B may additionally or
alternatively earn
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achievements, leaderboard position, and/or other credits that are not
available to the player A
132A for assisting the player A 132A in completing the game task.
[0048] In some embodiments, the player B 132B is given a finite amount of
time to
complete the game task. In some other embodiments, the player B 132B is given
an infinite
amount of time to complete the game task.
[0049] In some embodiments, the player B 132B is compensated for completing
the game
task. Compensation for completing the game task can include, but is not
limited to, real
currency, virtual currency, one or more in-game items for the game application
124, one or
more in-game items for another game application, and credit for the purchase
of real or
virtual products from an online merchant.
100501 A virtual currency may be represented by units, such as, but not
limited to,
"coins," "points," "virtual dollars," and the like. A "unit" of virtual
currency, whether a coin,
a point, a virtual dollar, or other unit, may have a value that is tied to a
real currency, such as
the U.S. dollar. A "coin" may represent, for example, 1/100 of a U.S. dollar
or 1 U.S. cent
within the gaming service 108 so that an item that costs $2.99 in U.S. dollars
and cents would
alternatively cost 299 coins. It should be understood that the value of a
virtual currency unit
may be changed from time to time to accommodate changes in the value of the
real currency
to which it is tied or for any number of other reasons, such as those
particular to the entity
that provides the gaming service 108. It should also be understood that items
may be made
available for purchase via the gaming service 108 using virtual currency, real
currency, or a
combination thereof as the method for payment.
100511 In some embodiments, the gaming service 108 provides a marketplace
through
which players can purchase content, such as, for example, applications, game
applications,
game add-ons, in-game items, music, e-books, movies, and the like. Virtual
currency
exchanged as compensation for completing a game task may be used to purchase
such
content from the marketplace.
100521 In some embodiments, the player A 132A can set up an auction to
solicit the help
of another player to assist the player A 132A in completing a game task
identified in the
auction. The auction feature can be hosted by the gaming service 108. Users of
the gaming
service 108 can bid on the auction and the player A 132A can select a bid as
the winning bid.
A bid can include an amount of compensation for completing the game task. A
bid can also
include a deadline by which the game task will be completed. In this manner,
the player A
132A can choose a winning bid based upon his or her needs with regard to
completing the
game task.
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[0053] In some embodiments, the player A 132A can delegate a game task to
two or more
players. The first of the two or more players to complete the game task can be
compensated.
Alternatively, all players are compensated, but the first player to complete
the game task in
compensated the highest amount, the second player is compensated a lower
amount, and so
on.
[0054] In the illustrated example, the computing device A 102A generates an
invitation
("invite 134") and sends the invite 134 to the gaming service 108. The invite
134 can be
addressed to the player 132B. For example, the player A 132A and the player B
132B may
be in a friendship within the gaming service 108, and the friendship allows
the player A 132A
to send the invite 134 directly to the player B 132B via a messaging feature
provided by the
gaming service 108. A friendship in context of the gaming service 108 is a
relationship
between two users facilitated by the gaming service 108 that allows the users
to connect to
play multiplayer games, chat, and send messages to each other, including, for
example,
invites such as the invite 134. The player B 132B can then choose to accept or
deny the
invite 134. In the illustrated example, the player B 132B has accepted the
invite 134, and in
response, the computing device B 102B generates an invitation acceptance
notification
(-accept invite 136") and sends the accept invite 136 to the gaming service
108. Once the
invite 134 is accepted, the game application 124 can call the sharing service
API 128 to
establish the sharing session 112 to enable the player B 132B to attempt to
complete the game
task utilizing one of the methodologies described above.
[0055] The other application 131 can include one or more Web browser
applications, one
or more productivity applications (e.g., word processing, spreadsheet, and/or
presentation
applications), one or more design applications, or any other applications. In
some
embodiments, the other application(s) 131 can be configured to call the
sharing service API
128 to provide sharing features to users. For example, the shared data A 118A
can be data
shared by the other application 131 and the shared data B 118B can be data
shared by the
computing device B 102B that is useable by the other application 131.
[0056] FIG. 1 illustrates one network 104, one sharing service 106, one
gaming service
108, one game application 124, one gaming service API 126, one sharing service
API 128,
one sharing component 130, one other application 131, and one operating system
122. It
should be understood, however, that various implementations of the operating
environment
100 include multiple networks 104, sharing services 106, gaming services 108,
game
applications 124, gaming service APIs 126, sharing service APIs 128, sharing
components
130, other applications 131, and/or operating systems 122. As such, the
illustrated
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embodiment should be understood as being illustrative, and should not be
construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0057] Turning now to FIG. 2, additional aspects of the sharing component
130 will be
described, according to an illustrative embodiment. In some embodiments, the
sharing
component 130 is provided as part as client-side functionality for accessing
the sharing
service 106. In some embodiments, the sharing component 130 is provided as
part of the
operating system 122 (shown in FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the sharing
component 130
is given permissions to access features of the operating system 122 such as a
rendering
pipeline to effectively detect and compress a buffer of screen and/or
application data that is to
be streamed to the sharing service 106 as part of the shared data A 118A
(shown in FIG. 1).
100581 The illustrated sharing component 130 includes a screen sharing
module 202 and
an application data sharing module 204. The screen sharing module 202 includes
a screen
data differential engine 206, a screen data sender 208, and a screen data
receiver 210. The
screen data differential engine 206 is configured to calculate a difference
between what
screen data is currently being displayed and what screen data has already been
sent to the
sharing service 106. The screen data differential engine 206 is also
configured to send the
difference to the sharing service 106, thereby saving network and other
resources. It is
contemplated, however, that the sharing component 130 may share all screen
data output by a
computing device.
[0059] The screen data sender 208 is configured to communicate with the
sharing service
106 to send screen data to the sharing session 112. The screen data receiver
210 is
configured to communicate with the sharing service 106 to receive screen data
from the
sharing session 112.
[0060] The application data sharing module 204 includes a data compression
engine 212,
an application data sender 214, and an application data receiver 216. The data
compression
engine 212 is configured to compress application data for sending to the
sharing service 106.
The application data sender 214 is configured to communicate with the sharing
service 106 to
send application data to the sharing session 112. The application data
receiver 214 is
configured to communicate with the sharing service 106 to receive application
data from the
sharing session 112.
[0061] Turning now to FIG. 3, additional aspects of the sharing service 106
will be
described. In FIG. 3, the sharing service 106 receives screen data 302A-302N
and
application data 304A-304N from a plurality of computing devices (not shown).
The sharing
service 106 provides the screen data 302A-302N to a screen stream multiplexer
306. The
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screen stream multiplexer 306 is configured to receive the screen data 302A-
302N and
multiplex the screen data 302A-302N to generate multiplexed screen data 308,
which is then
provided to a stream compressor 310. The stream compressor 310 is configured
to compress
the multiplexed screen data 308 for delivery to one or more computing devices
during a
sharing session. The compression technology utilized by the stream compressor
310 can be
selected based upon the needs of the sharing service 106 in providing a
particular quality of
service via a sharing session. As such, the compression level may be increased
to conserve
network resources or decreased to consume network resources based upon the
availability of
network resources to support the sharing session.
[0062] The sharing service 106 provides the application data 304A-304N to
an
application data stream multiplexer 312. The application data multiplexer 312
is configured
to receive the application data 304A-304N and multiplex the application data
304A-304N to
generate multiplexed application data 314, which is then provided to the
stream compressor
310 for compression.
[0063] Turning now to FIG. 4, aspects of a method 400 for delegating a game
task will be
described in detail, according to an illustrative embodiment. It should be
understood that the
operations of the methods disclosed herein are not necessarily presented in
any particular
order and that performance of some or all of the operations in an alternative
order(s) is
possible and is contemplated. The operations have been presented in the
demonstrated order
for ease of description and illustration. Operations may be added, omitted,
and/or performed
simultaneously, without departing from the scope of the concepts and
technologies disclosed
herein.
[0064] It also should be understood that the methods disclosed herein can
be ended at any
time and need not be performed in its entirety. Some or all operations of the
methods, and/or
substantially equivalent operations, can be performed by execution of computer-
readable
instructions included on a computer storage media, as defined herein. The term
"computer-
readable instructions," and variants thereof, as used herein, is used
expansively to include
routines, applications, application modules, program modules, programs,
components, data
structures, algorithms, and the like. Computer-readable instructions can be
implemented on
various system configurations including single-processor or multiprocessor
systems,
minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal computers, hand-held computing
devices,
microprocessor-based, programmable consumer electronics, combinations thereof,
and the
like.
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[0065] Thus, it should be appreciated that the logical operations described
herein are
implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implemented acts or program modules
running
on a computing system and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or
circuit modules
within the computing system. The implementation is a matter of choice
dependent on the
performance and other requirements of the computing system. Accordingly, the
logical
operations described herein are referred to variously as states, operations,
structural devices,
acts, or modules. These states, operations, structural devices, acts, and
modules may be
implemented in software, in firmware, in special purpose digital logic, and
any combination
thereof
[0066] The method 400 is described as being performed by a first computing
device, such
as the computing device A 102A, via execution of one or more software modules
such as, for
example, the game application 124, the gaming service API 126, the sharing
service API 128,
and/or the sharing component 130. It should be understood that additional
and/or alternative
devices and/or network nodes can provide the functionality described herein
via execution of
one or more modules, applications, and/or other software including, but not
limited to, the
game application 124, the gaming service API 126, the sharing service API 128,
and/or the
sharing component 130. Thus, the illustrated embodiments are illustrative, and
should not be
viewed as being limiting in any way.
[0067] The method 400 begins at operation 402, where the computing device A
102A
executes the game application 124. From operation 402, the method 400 proceeds
to
operation 404, where the computing device A 102A receives input from a first
user, such as
the player A 132A. The input can be received via one or more input devices
that are
connected to or otherwise in communication with the computing device A 102A.
The input
is provided by the first user towards the completion of a game task.
[0068] From operation 404, the method 400 proceeds to operation 406, where
the
computing device A 102A receives a delegation request from the first user to
delegate play of
the game application 124 to a second user, such as the player B 132B, for
completion of the
game task. In some embodiments, a delegation request option is provided as
part of the game
application 124 and can be selected by the first user if the first user needs
assistance in
completing a game task. In some embodiments, the delegation request option
"pops up" after
a pre-defined number of failed attempts by the first user in completing the
game task. The
pre-defined number may be set by a developer of the game application 124. In
some
embodiments, a delegation request option is made accessible to the game
application 124 by
one or more methods exposed by the gaming service APT 126 or the sharing
service API 128.
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[0069] From operation 406, the method 400 proceeds to operation 408, where
the
computing device A 102A generates an invitation for the second user to attempt
to complete
the game task in response to the delegation request. In some embodiments,
invitation is
generated by the game application 124. In some embodiments, the invitation is
made
accessible to the game application 124 by one or more methods exposed by the
gaming
service API 126 or the sharing service API 128.
[0070] From operation 408, the method 400 proceeds to operation 410, where
computing
device A 102A causes the invitation to be made available to the second user.
From operation
410, the method 400 proceeds to operation 412, where the computing device A
102A receives
notification of acceptance of the invitation.
100711 From operation 412, the method 400 proceeds to operation 414, where
the
computing device A 102A initiates establishment of a sharing session via the
sharing service
106. From operation 414, the method 400 proceeds to operation 416, where the
computing
device A 102A transfers control of the game application 124 to a second
computing device,
such as the computing device B 102B, that is associated with the second user,
such as the
player B 132B, via the sharing session. In this manner, the player B 132B can
assist the
player A 132A to complete the game task, after which the sharing session can
be torn down
and the player A 132A can resume playing the game application 124.
[0072] From operation 416, the method 400 proceeds to operation 418. The
method 400
ends at operation 418.
[0073] Turning now to FIG. 5, aspects of a method 500 for accepting
delegation of a
game task will be described in detail, according to an illustrative
embodiment. The method
500 is described as being performed by a second computing device, such as the
computing
device B 102B, via execution of one or more software modules such as, for
example, the
game application 124, the gaming service API 126, the sharing service API 128,
and/or the
sharing component 130. It should be understood that additional and/or
alternative devices
and/or network nodes can provide the functionality described herein via
execution of one or
more modules, applications, and/or other software including, but not limited
to, the game
application 124, the gaming service API 126, the sharing service API 128,
and/or the sharing
component 130. Thus, the illustrated embodiments are illustrative, and should
not be viewed
as being limiting in any way.
[0074] The method 500 begins at operation 502, where the computing device B
102B
receives input to accept an invitation to attempt to complete a game task.
From operation
502, the method 500 proceeds to operation 504, where the computing device B
102B
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generates a notification of acceptance of the invitation to complete the game
task. From
operation 504, the method 500 proceeds to operation 506, where the computing
device B
102B sends the notification to the first computing device, such as the
computing device A
102A.
[0075] From operation 506, the method 500 proceeds to operation 508, where
the
computing device B 102B connects to a sharing session provided by the sharing
service 106.
The sharing session can be initiated by the first computing device in response
to the
notification of acceptance of the invitation.
[0076] From operation 508, the method 500 proceeds to operation 510, where
the
computing device B 102B receives control of the game application 124 via the
sharing
session. From operation 510, the method 500 proceeds to operation 512, where
the
computing device B 102B receives input to control the game application to
complete the
game task. From operation 512, the method 500 proceeds to operation 514,
wherein the
computing device B 102B sends the input to control the game application 124 to
the first
computing device 102 via the sharing session.
[0077] From operation 514, the method 500 proceeds to operation 516. The
method 500
ends at operation 516.
[0078] Turning now to FIG. 6, aspects of a method 600 for sharing game
control data
using the sharing service 106 will be described in detail, according to an
illustrative
embodiment. The method 600 begins at operation 602, where a first computing
device, such
as the computing device A 102A, and a second computing device, such as the
computing
device B 102B both connect to a sharing session 112 provided by the sharing
service 106.
[0079] From operation 602, the method 600 proceeds to operation 604, where
the
computing device B 102B receives game control input. For example, the player B
132B may
provide game control input to the computing device B 102B using one or more
input devices
in an attempt to complete one or more game tasks delegated to the player B
132B by the
player A 132A.
[0080] From operation 604, the method proceeds to operation 606, where the
computing
device B 102B sends game control data that is associated with the game control
input to the
sharing service 106 via the sharing session 112 for delivery to the computing
device A 102A.
The game control data can include, but is not limited to, instructions that
are useable by a
game application, such as the game application 124, to perform one or more
actions.
[0081] From operation 606, the method 600 proceeds to operation 608, where
the
computing device A 102A receives the game control data from the sharing
service 106 and
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provides the game control data to the game application 124 that is executing
on the
computing device A 102A. From operation 608, the method 600 proceeds to
operation 610,
where the game application 124 utilizes the game control data to perform one
or more
actions. From operation 610, the method 600 proceeds to operation 612, where
the game
application 124 presents the one or more actions via the display A 116A. In
some
embodiments, the game application 124 replays the one or more actions defined
by
instructions included in the game control data so that the player A 132A can
watch how the
player B 132B is attempting to complete one or more game tasks delegated to
the player B
132B by the player A 132A. In this manner, the player A 132A can decide
whether or not the
player B 132B is performing in such a way that is acceptable to the player A
132A, and if
not, the player A 132A can interrupt the replay, as will be described below in
greater detail
with reference to FIG. 7.
[0082] From operation 612, the method 600 proceeds to operation 614. The
method 600
ends at operation 614.
[0083] Turning now to FIG. 7, aspects of a method 700 for interrupting game
control
delegated by a first user to a second user will be described in detail,
according to an
illustrative embodiment. The method 700 begins at operation 702, where the
game
application 124 utilizes game control data received from the computing device
B 102B via
the sharing session 112 to perform one or more actions. From operation 702,
the method 700
proceeds to operation 704, where the game application 124 determines if an
interruption is
received. In utilizing the game control data, the game application 124 can
replay the game
control input provided by the player B 132B on the computing device A 102A so
that the
player A 132A can watch how the player B 132B is performing. If the player A
132A is not
satisfied, the player A 132A can decide to interrupt the replay. In some
embodiments, the
replay can be interrupted by the player A 132A by providing some input to the
game
application 124. For example, the game application 124 can provide an icon can
be selected
by the player A 132A or designate some other input to be used if the player A
132A desires
to stop the action perform in response to the game control data.
[0084] If, at operation 704, the game application 124 receives an
interruption, the method
700 proceeds to operation 706. At operation 706, the game application 124
generates an
abort request and sends the abort request to the sharing service 106. From
operation 706, the
method 700 proceeds to operation 708, wherein the sharing service 106 receives
the abort
request and ends the sharing session 112 so that the computing device B 102B
can no longer
provide the game control data to the computing device A 102A. In this manner,
the player A
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132A can monitor how one or more game tasks arc being handled and disconnect
from a
player to which he or she has designated one or more game tasks if the player
is misbehaving
or otherwise not performing up to his or her expectations. From operation 708,
the method
700 proceeds to operation 710, where the game application 124 returns control
to the player
A 132A. From operation 710, the method 700 proceeds to operation 712. The
method 700
ends at operation 712.
[0085] If, at operation 704, the game application 124 does not receive an
interruption, the
method 700 proceeds to operation 714. At operation 714, the game application
124
determines if the one or more actions have been completed. For example, the
game
application 124 is no longer receiving the game control data via the sharing
session 112. If
not, the method 700 proceeds from operation 714 to operation 702. If so, the
method 700
proceeds to operation 710, where the game application 124 returns control to
the player A
132A. From operation 710, the method 700 proceeds to operation 712. The method
700
ends at operation 712.
[0086] Turning now to FIG. 8, aspects of a method 800 for sharing screen
data will be
described in detail, according to an illustrative embodiment. The method 800
begins and
proceeds to operation 802, where a first computing device, such as the
computing device A
102A, and a second computing device, such as the computing device B 102B, both
connect to
a sharing session 112 provided by the sharing service 108.
[0087] From operation 802, the method 800 proceeds to operation 804, where
the
computing device B 102B receives game control input. For example, the player B
132B may
provide game control input to the computing device B 102B using one or more
input devices
in an attempt to complete one or more game tasks delegated to the player B
132B by the
player A 132A.
[0088] From operation 804, the method 800 proceeds to operation 806, where
the
computing device B 102B generates screen data based at least in part upon the
game control
input received at operation 804. In some embodiments, the screen data includes
a screen
stream of visual output provided by a game application executed by the
computing device B
102B in response to the game control input. For example, as the player B 132B
provides
input via a controller or other input device, the game application may output
data to a display
that shows a character responding to the game control input, such as
traversing a level,
fighting an enemy, or performing some other action.
[0089] From operation 806, the method proceeds to operation 808, where the
computing
device B 102B sends the screen data to the sharing service 106 via the sharing
session 112 for
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delivery to the computing device A 102A. The computing device B 102B can
provide the
screen data to the sharing service 106 so that the computing device A 102A can
access the
screen data via the sharing session 112. In this manner, the player A 132A can
watch what
the player B 132B is doing towards completing one or more game tasks delegated
by the
player A 132A to the player B 132B.
[0090] From operation 808, the method 800 proceeds to operation 810, where
the
computing device A 102A receives the screen data from the sharing service 108.
From
operation 810, the method 800 proceeds to operation 812, where the computing
device A
102A presents the screen data on a display, such as the display A 116A.
[0091] From operation 812, the method 800 proceeds to operation 814. The
method 800
ends at operation 814.
100921 In some embodiments, the player A 132A may be able to interrupt the
screen
session 112 to terminate the screen sharing session if for some reason he or
she determines
the player B 132B is misbehaving or otherwise not performing up to his or her
expectations.
In some embodiments, the method 600 and the method 800 may be combined so as
to share
both game control data and screen data.
[0093] Turning now to FIG. 9, aspects of a method 900 for sharing game
control data
without the use of a sharing service will be described in detail, according to
an illustrative
embodiment. The methods described above with reference to FIGs. 4-8 utilize a
sharing
service, such as the sharing service 106, to share screen data and/or
application data such as
game control data. The method 900 allows players to share game control data
without the
use of a sharing service. The method 900 may be useful for situations in which
network
connectivity cannot support a sharing service due to latency issues, bandwidth
issues,
reliability issues, or other issues.
[0094] The method 900 begins at operation 902, where a second computing
device, such
as the computing device B 102B receives game control input. The game control
input is
received in response to a player associated with the second computing device,
such as the
player B 132B who is associated with the computing device B 102B, accepting an
invite to
complete one or more game tasks on behalf of another player, such as the
player A 102A. In
some embodiments, the game task is delegated directly to the player B 132B,
such as via the
gaming service 108. In some embodiments, the game task is made available to a
plurality of
players via the gaming service 108, and the player B 132B selects the game
task.
[0095] From operation 902, the method 900 proceeds to operation 904, where
the
computing device B 102B sends game control data associated with the game
control input to
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the computing device A 102A via the network 104. The game control data may be
sent via a
peer-to-peer connection established between the computing device A 102A and
the
computing device B 102B over the network 104. Alternatively, the game control
data may be
sent to one or more servers configured to support delivery of the game control
data. The one
or more servers may or may not operate in at least partial support of the
gaming service 108.
[0096] From operation 904, the method 900 proceeds to operation 906, where
the
computing device A 102A receives the game control data and provides the game
control data
to the game application 124. From operation 906, the method 900 proceeds to
operation 908,
wherein the game application 124 utilizes the game control data to perform one
or more
actions.
100971 From operation 908, the method 900 proceeds to operation 910, where
the game
application 124 determines if an interruption is received. In utilizing the
game control data,
the game application 124 can replay the game control input provided by the
player B 132B on
the computing device A 102A so that the player A 132A can watch how the player
B 132B is
performing. If the player A 132A is not satisfied, he or she can decide to
interrupt the replay.
In some embodiments, the replay can be interrupted by the player A 132A by
providing some
input to the game application 124. For example, the game application 124 can
provide an
icon that can be selected by the player A 132A or other input than can be used
if the player A
132A desires to stop the action performed in response to the game control
data.
[0098] If, at operation 910, the game application 124 receives an
interruption, the method
900 proceeds to operation 912. At operation 912, the game application 124
returns control to
the player A 132A. From operation 912, the method 900 proceeds to operation
914. The
method 900 ends at operation 914.
[0099] If, at operation 910, the game application 124 does not receive an
interruption, the
method 900 proceeds to operation 916. At operation 916, the game application
124
determines if the one or more actions have been completed. For example, the
game
application 124 is no longer receiving the game control data via the network
104. If not, the
method 900 proceeds from operation 916 to operation 908. If so, the method 900
proceeds to
operation 912, where the game application 124 returns control to the player A
132A. From
operation 912, the method 900 proceeds to operation 914. The method 900 ends
at operation
914.
1001001 Turning now to FIG. 10, aspects of a method 1000 for sharing game
state data will
be described in detail, according to an illustrative embodiment. The method
1000 begins and
proceeds to operation 1002, where a second computing device, such as the
computing device
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B 102B, receives an invite to complete a game task. In some embodiments, the
game task is
delegated directly to the player B 132B, such as via the gaming service 108.
In some
embodiments, the game task is made available to a plurality of players via the
gaming service
108, and the player B 132B selects the game task via the gaming service 108,
effectively
accepting an invite.
[00101] From operation 1002, the method 1000 proceeds to operation 1004, where
the
computing device B 102B determines if a game state has been received. A game
state can
include a state of a game application before the delegated game task has been
completed. In
some embodiments, a player delegating a game task may elect to provide a game
state so that
the player to whom the game task is delegated can begin his or her attempt to
complete the
game task in particular state of the game that has been achieved by the player
delegating the
game task. In this manner, the player to whom the game task is delegated can
begin his or
her attempt to complete the delegated game task from a state other than a
beginning state of a
game application or other state that may not be conducive to being able to
complete the
delegated game task within a specific amount of time or under some other
constraint. For
example, if the game application is a role-playing game, the player delegating
the game task
might have spent tens or even hundreds of hours developing his or her
character and
progressing through a storyline provided by the role-playing game. In this
example, the
player delegating the game task can provide a game state that captures the
character's
progression and place within the storyline so that the player to whom the game
task is
delegated can assume control of the character in an attempt to complete the
game task with a
character progressed in a certain manner and at a particular point in the
storyline. Although
the concept of game state is not referenced in the description of the methods
illustrated in
FIGs. 4-9, the concept of game state can be utilized in those methods to
provide a game state
from which to start the player to whom a game task has been delegated, for
example.
100102] If, at operation 1004, the computing device 102B determines that a
game state has
been received, the method 1000 proceeds to operation 1006, where the computing
device B
102B loads the game state into a game application, such as copy of the game
application 124,
thereby allowing the player B 132B to start his or her attempt to complete the
delegated game
task from a state other than a beginning state (e.g., new game start) or a
game state saved in
association with previous play by the player B 132B.
100103] From operation 1006, the method 1000 proceeds to operation 1008. Also,
if, at
operation 1004, the computing device 102B determines that a game state has not
been
received, the method 1000 proceeds to operation 1008. At operation 1008, the
computing
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device B 102B receives game control input provided by the player B 102B to
complete the
game task. From operation 1008, the method 1000 proceeds to operation 1010,
where the
computing device B 102B generates a new game state that includes the completed
game task.
From operation 1010, the method 1000 proceeds to operation 1012, where the
computing
device B 102B then sends the new game state to the computing device A 102A.
The
computing device A 102A can load the new game state into the game application
124 and
resume play of the game application 124 at a state after the game task has
been completed on
his or her behalf.
[00104] From operation 1012, the method 1000 proceeds to operation 1014. The
method
1000 ends at operation 1014.
[00105] In some embodiments, game states that include one or molre completed
game
tasks can be provided to the gaming service 108. The gaming service 108 can
offer a game
state on behalf of the user or users that created the game state. In this
manner, a particularly
skilled player or groups of players can create game states that complete one
or more game
tasks which might be commonly difficult and therefore attractive to other
players. A game
state may be offered for free or for some compensation, such as one or more of
the various
compensations described herein above.
[00106] Turning now to FIG. 11, aspects of a method 1100 for exposing a
sharing service
API, such as the sharing service API 128, will be described in detail,
according to an
illustrative embodiment. The method 1100 begins at operation 1102, where a
computing
device, such as the computing device A 102A exposes the sharing service API
128 so that
one or more applications, such as the game application 124 and/or the other
application 131,
can call the sharing service API 128 to access the sharing service 106.
[00107] From operation 1102, the method 1100 proceeds to operation 1104, where
the
computing device A 102A receives a call to a method exposed by the sharing
service API 128
to request creation of a sharing session, such as the sharing session 112.
From operation
1104, the method 1100 proceeds to operation 1106, where, in response to the
call, the
computing device A 102A initiates creation of the sharing session 112 by
connecting to the
sharing service 106. From operation 1106, the method 1100 proceeds to
operation 1108,
where the computing device A 102A joins the sharing session 112 created by the
sharing
service 106. One or more other computing devices, such as the computing device
B 102B,
can then connect to the sharing session 112 to share data, such as the shared
data B 118B.
[00108] From operation 1108, the method 1100 proceeds to operation 1110. The
method
1100 ends at operation 1110.
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[00109] FIG. 12 shows an example computer architecture for a computer 1200
capable of
executing the software components described herein for delegating video game
tasks via a
sharing service in the manner presented above. The computer architecture shown
in FIG. 12
illustrates a conventional server computer, workstation, desktop computer,
laptop, electronic
book reader, digital wireless phone, tablet computer, network appliance, set-
top box, or other
computing device. The computer architecture shown in FIG. 12 may be utilized
to execute
any aspects of the software components presented herein described as executing
on the
computing device A 102A, the computing device B 102B, the sharing service 106,
the
gaming service 108, or any other computing platform.
[00110] The computer 1200 includes a baseboard, or "motherboard," which is a
printed
circuit board to which a multitude of components or devices may be connected
by way of a
system bus or other electrical communication paths. In one illustrative
embodiment, one or
more central processing units ("CPUs") 1202 operate in conjunction with a
chipset 1204.
The CPUs 1202 are standard programmable processors that perform arithmetic and
logical
operations necessary for the operation of the computer 1200.
[00111] The CPUs 1202 perform operations by transitioning from one discrete,
physical
state to the next through the manipulation of switching elements that
differentiate between
and change these states. Switching elements may generally include electronic
circuits that
maintain one of two binary states, such as flip-flops, and electronic circuits
that provide an
output state based on the logical combination of the states of one or more
other switching
elements, such as logic gates. These basic switching elements may be combined
to create
more complex logic circuits, including registers, adders-subtractors,
arithmetic logic units,
floating-point units, or the like.
[00112] The chipset 1204 provides an interface between the CPUs 1202 and the
remainder
of the components and devices on the baseboard. The chipset 1204 may provide
an interface
to a random access memory ("RAM") 1206, used as the main memory in the
computer 1200.
The chipset 1204 may further provide an interface to a computer-readable
storage medium
such as a read-only memory ("ROM") 1208 or non-volatile RAM ("NVRAM") for
storing
basic routines that that help to startup the computer 1200 and to transfer
information between
the various components and devices. The ROM 1208 or NVRAM may also store other
software components necessary for the operation of the computer 1200 in
accordance with
the embodiments described herein.
[00113] According to various embodiments, the computer 1200 may operate in a
networked environment using logical connections to remote computing devices
and computer
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systems through a network, such as a local-area network ("LAN"), a wide-area
network
("WAN"), the Internet, the network 104, or any other networking topology known
in the art
that connects the computer 1200 to remote computers. The chipset 1204 includes
functionality for providing network connectivity through a network interface
controller ("NIC") 1212, such as a gigabit Ethernet adapter.
[00114] For example, the NIC 1210 may be capable of connecting the computer
1200 to
other computing devices, such as the computing device A 102A, the computing
device B
102B, the sharing service 106, the gaming service 108, a data storage system
in, and the like,
over the network 104 described above in regard to FIG. 1. It should be
appreciated that
multiple NICs 1210 may be present in the computer 1200, connecting the
computer to other
types of networks and remote computer systems.
[00115] The computer 1200 may be connected to a mass storage device 1212 that
provides
non-volatile storage for the computer. The mass storage device 1212 may store
system
programs, application programs, other program modules, and data, which have
been
described in greater detail herein. The mass storage device 1212 may be
connected to the
computer 1200 through a storage controller 1214 connected to the chipset 1204.
The mass
storage device 1212 may consist of one or more physical storage units. The
storage
controller 1214 may interface with the physical storage units through a serial
attached SCSI
("SAS") interface, a serial advanced technology attachment ("SATA") interface,
a FIBRE
CHANNEL ("FC") interface, or other standard interface for physically
connecting and
transferring data between computers and physical storage devices.
[00116] The computer 1200 may store data on the mass storage device 1212 by
transforming the physical state of the physical storage units to reflect the
information being
stored. The specific transformation of physical state may depend on various
factors, in
different implementations of this description. Examples of such factors may
include, but are
not limited to, the technology used to implement the physical storage units,
whether the mass
storage device 1212 is characterized as primary or secondary storage, or the
like.
[00117] For example, the computer 1200 may store information to the mass
storage
device 1212 by issuing instructions through the storage controller 1214 to
alter the magnetic
characteristics of a particular location within a magnetic disk drive unit,
the reflective or
refractive characteristics of a particular location in an optical storage
unit, or the electrical
characteristics of a particular capacitor, transistor, or other discrete
component in a solid-state
storage unit. Other transformations of physical media are possible without
departing from the
scope and spirit of the present description, with the foregoing examples
provided only to
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facilitate this description. The computer 1200 may further read information
from the mass
storage device 1212 by detecting the physical states or characteristics of one
or more
particular locations within the physical storage units.
[00118] In addition to the mass storage device 1212 described above, the
computer 1200
might have access to other computer-readable media to store and retrieve
information, such
as program modules, data structures, or other data. It should be appreciated
by those skilled
in the art that computer-readable media can be any available media that may be
accessed by
the computer 1200, including computer-readable storage media and
communications media.
Communications media includes transitory signals. Computer-readable storage
media
includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable storage media
implemented
in any method or technology. For example, computer-readable storage media
includes, but is
not limited to, RAM, ROM, erasable programmable ROM ("EPROM"), electrically-
erasable
programmable ROM ("EEPROM"), flash memory or other solid-state memory
technology,
compact disc ROM ("CD-ROM"), digital versatile disk ("DVD"), high definition
DVD
("HD-DVD"), BLU-RAY, or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic
tape,
magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium
that can be
used to store the desired information. Computer-readable storage media does
not include
transitory signals.
[00119] The mass storage device 1212 may store an operating system 1216, such
as the
operating system 122, utilized to control the operation of the computer 1200.
According to
one embodiment, the operating system comprises the LINUX operating system.
According
to another embodiment, the operating system comprises the WINDOWS SERVER
operating system from MICROSOFT Corporation of Redmond, Washington. According
to
further embodiments, the operating system may comprise the UNIX or SOLARIS
operating
systems. It should be appreciated that other operating systems may also be
utilized. The
mass storage device 1212 may store other system or application programs and
data utilized
by the computer 1200. For instance, when utilized to implement the computing
device A
102A, the mass storage device 1212 may store the gaming service API 126, the
sharing
service API 128, the sharing component 130, the game application 124, and/or
the other
application 131. When utilized to implement the sharing service 106, the mass
storage device
1212 may store the sharing service application(s) 110. When utilized to
implement the
gaming service, the mass storage device 1212 may store the gaming service
application(s)
120.
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[00120] In one embodiment, the mass storage device 1212 or other computer-
readable
storage media may be encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when
loaded into
the computer 1200, transform the computer from a general-purpose computing
system into a
special-purpose computer capable of implementing the embodiments described
herein. These
computer-executable instructions transform the computer 1200 by specifying how
the
CPUs 1202 transition between states, as described above. According to one
embodiment, the
computer 1200 has access to computer-readable storage media storing computer-
executable
instructions that, when executed by the computer, perform the various routines
and operations
described herein.
[00121] The computer 1200 may also include an input/output controller 1218 for
receiving
and processing input from a number of input devices, such as a keyboard, a
mouse, a
touchpad, a touch screen, an electronic stylus, or other type of input device.
Similarly, the
input/output controller 1218 may provide output to a display device, such as a
computer
monitor, a flat-panel display, a digital projector, a printer, a plotter, or
other type of output
device. It will be appreciated that the computer 1200 may not include all of
the components
shown in FIG. 12, may include other components that are not explicitly shown
in FIG. 12, or
may utilize an architecture completely different than that shown in FIG. 12.
[00122] The foregoing may be better understood in view of the following
clauses:
1. A method for delegating a game task, the method comprising:
executing, by a first computing device, a game application;
receiving, by the first computing device, a delegation request from a first
user to
delegate play of the game application to complete a game task;
in response to the delegation request, generating, by the first computing
device, an
invitation to complete the game task on behalf of the first user;
causing, by the first computing device, the invitation to be made available
for
acceptance;
receiving, by the first computing device, a notification of acceptance
indicating to the
first user that the invitation has been accepted; and
transferring, by the first computing device, control of the game application
to a
second computing device so that the second computing device can be utilized in
an attempt to
complete the game task on behalf of the first user.
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2. The method of clause 1, further comprising receiving, by the computing
device, a notification of successful completion of the game task.
3. The method of clause 2, further comprising in response to notification
of
successful completion of the game task, initiating transfer of compensation
from the first user
to a second user that completed the game task.
4. The method of clause 3, wherein the compensation comprises currency,
virtual currency, one or more in-game items for the game application, one or
more in-game
items for another game application, or credit for purchase of real or virtual
products from an
online merchant.
5. The method of clause 1, wherein causing, by the first computing device,
the
invitation to be made available for acceptance comprises sending, by the first
computing
device, the invitation to the second computing device for acceptance by a
second user that is
associated with the second computing device.
6. The method of clause 5, wherein the first user and the second user are
in a
friendship facilitated by a gaming service.
7. The method of clause 1, wherein causing, by the first computing device,
the
invitation to be made available for acceptance comprises sending, by the first
computing
device, the invitation to a gaming service that is configured to present the
invitation on behalf
of the first user in solicitation of assistance from a second user with
completing the game
task, the second user being one of a plurality of users associated with the
gaming service.
8. The method of clause 7, wherein the invitation is associated with an
auction
configured to be used by at least a portion of the plurality of users to bid
on helping the first
user to complete the game task.
9. The method of clause 8, further comprising receiving, by the first
computing
device, a selection of a winning bid from the auction, the winning bid being
associated with
the second user, and sending, by the first computing device, notification of
the selection of
the winning bid to the second user; and wherein receiving, by the first
computing device, the
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notification of acceptance comprises receiving, by the first computing device,
the notification
of acceptance in response to sending the notification of the selection of the
winning bid to the
second user.
10. The method of clause 1, further comprising initiating, by the first
computing
device, establishment of a sharing session between the first computing device
and the second
computing device; and wherein transferring, by the first computing device,
control of the
game application to the second computing device comprises transferring, by the
computing
device, the control of the game application to the second computing device
during the sharing
session so that the first user can observe, via the first computing device, a
second user playing
the game application in an attempt to complete the game task on behalf of the
first user.
11. The method of clause 10, wherein initiating, by the first computing
device,
establishment of the sharing session comprises the game application calling a
sharing service
application programming interface configured to initiate establishment of the
sharing session
with a sharing service.
12. The method of clause 11, further comprising:
receiving, by the first computing device, a request to transfer the control of
the game
application back to the first computing device;
sending, by the first computing device, the request to transfer the control of
the game
application back to the first computing device to the sharing service; and
in response to sending the request to transfer the control of the game
application back
to the first computing device, receiving, by the first computing device, the
control of the
game application from the second computing device during the sharing session.
13. The method of clause 1, wherein the game task comprises:
a developer-defined task defined by a developer of the game application;
a user-defined task defined by the first user;
completion of at least one level of the game application;
unlocking an achievement of the game application; or
attaining a position on a leaderboard associated with the game application.
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14. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable
instructions which, when executed by a first computing device, cause the first
computing
device to perform operations comprising:
receiving game control data for controlling an action within a game
application, the
game control data being associated with game control input received by a
second computing
device for completion of a game task delegated by a first user associated with
the first
computing device to a second user associated with the second computing device;
and
utilizing the game control data to perform the action.
15. The computer-readable storage medium of clause 14, comprising further
computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the first computing
device, cause
the first computing device to perform further operations comprising connecting
to a sharing
session provided by a sharing service; and wherein receiving the game control
data for
controlling the action within the game application comprises receiving the
game control data
for controlling the action within the game application via the sharing session
provided by the
sharing service.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of clause 15, comprising further
computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the first computing
device, cause
the first computing device to perform further operations comprising:
receiving a request to interrupt the action from the first user;
in response to the request to interrupt the action,
generating a request to abort the sharing session, and
sending the request to abort the sharing session to the sharing service; and
returning control of the game application to the first user.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of clause 14, wherein utilizing
the
game control data to perform the action comprises replaying the action via the
first
computing device so that the first user can observe the action.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of clause 17, comprising further
computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the first computing
device, cause
the first computing device to perform further operations comprising:
receiving a request to interrupt replay of the action; and
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in response to the request to interrupt replay of the action, returning
control of the
game application to the first user.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of clause 14, wherein receiving
the
game control data for controlling the action within the game application
comprises receiving
a game state, and wherein utilizing the game control data to perform the
action comprises
loading the game state into the game application, the game state comprising a
state of the
game application after the action has been completed.
20. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions
stored
thereon which, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the
apparatus to perform
operations comprising
executing a game application,
receiving a delegation request from a first user to delegate play of the game
application to a second user so that the second user can attempt to complete a
game
task on behalf of the first user,
initiating a sharing session between the apparatus and a second apparatus
associated with the second user, and
transferring, via the sharing session, control of the game application to the
second apparatus so that the second user can attempt to complete the game task
on
behalf of the first user using the second apparatus.
The forgoing may also be better understood in view of the following set of
additional
clauses:
1. A computer-implemented method for creating a sharing session, the
computer-
implemented method comprising executing instructions in a computing device to
perform the
operations of:
executing an application configured to call a sharing service application
programming
interface (-API") to create a sharing session via a sharing service;
receiving a call from the application to a method exposed by the sharing
service API,
the call requesting creation of the sharing session;
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in response to receiving the call to the method exposed by the sharing service
API,
connecting to the sharing service, and
initiating creation of the sharing session via the sharing service;
joining the sharing session; and
receiving data via the sharing session.
2. The computer-implemented method of clause 1, wherein receiving the data
via
the sharing session comprises receiving screen data via the sharing session,
the screen data
comprising data associated with a screen output of at least a second computing
device that is
connected to the sharing session.
3. The computer-implemented method of clause 2, wherein receiving the data
via
the sharing session further comprises receiving application data via the
sharing session, the
application data comprising data associated with input provided to at least
the second
computing device that is connected to the sharing session.
4. The computer-implemented method of clause 1, wherein receiving the data
via
the sharing session comprises receiving application data via the sharing
session, the
application data comprising data associated with input provided to at least a
second
computing device that is connected to the sharing session.
5. The computer-implemented method of clause 1, further comprising:
receiving input to control the application; and
sending application data associated with the input to the sharing session.
6. The computer-implemented method of clause 2, further comprising sending
screen data associated with screen output of the computing device to the
sharing session.
7. The computer-implemented method of clause 1, further comprising sending
screen data associated with screen output of the computing device to the
sharing session.
8. The computer-implemented method of clause 1, wherein the application is
a
game application, and wherein receiving the data via the sharing session
comprises receiving
game control data to control the game application.
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9. A computer-implemented method for creating a sharing session, the
computer-
implemented method comprising executing instructions in a computing device to
perform the
operations of:
exposing a sharing application programming interface (API) for creating a
sharing
session;
receiving a call to a method exposed by the sharing API, the call requesting
creation
of the sharing session; and
in response to receiving the call to the method exposed by the sharing API,
initiating
creation of the sharing session by connecting to a sharing service that is
configured to create
and manage the sharing session, and joining the sharing session.
10. The computer-implemented method of clause 9, further comprising:
receiving a call exposed by the sharing API to request screen data to be sent
to at least
one other computing device; and
in response to receiving the call exposed by the sharing API to request the
screen data
to be sent to the at least one other computing device, sending the screen data
to the sharing
service via the sharing session for delivery to the at least one other
computing device.
11. The computer-implemented method of clause 10, further comprising:
receiving screen data from the at least one other computer system via the
sharing
session; and
presenting the screen data from the at least one other computer system on a
display.
12. The computer-implemented method of clause 10, further comprising:
determining current screen data;
determining a change between the current screen data and the screen data that
has
been sent to the sharing service; and
sending the change to the sharing service.
13. The computer-implemented method of clause 10, further comprising:
receiving a call exposed by the sharing API to request application data to be
sent to at
least one other computing device; and
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in response to receiving the call exposed by the sharing API to request the
application
data to be sent to the at least one other computing device, sending the
application data to the
sharing service for delivery to the at least one other computing device.
14. The computer-implemented method of clause 9, wherein receiving the
call
requesting creation of the sharing session comprises receiving the call
requesting creation of
the sharing session from a game application, and wherein the sharing session
is utilized, at
least in part, to facilitate a delegated game experience, the delegated game
experience
comprising providing screen data associated with the game application in
response to a
request from a first user to at least one other computing device that is
connected to the
sharing session so that at least a second user associated with the at least
one other computing
device can attempt to complete a game task within the game application on
behalf of the first
user.
15. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions
stored
thereon which, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the
apparatus to perform
operations comprising
executing an application configured to call a sharing service application
programming interface ("API") to create a sharing session via a sharing
service;
receiving a call from the application to a method exposed by the sharing
service API, the call requesting creation of the sharing session;
in response to receiving the call to the method exposed by the sharing service
API,
connecting to the sharing service, and
initiating creation of the sharing session via the sharing service; and
joining the sharing session.
16. The apparatus of clause 15, wherein the computer-executable
instructions,
when executed on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform
further
operations comprising receiving data from a second apparatus that is connected
to the sharing
session.
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17. The apparatus of clause 16, further comprising a display; wherein
receiving
the data from the second apparatus comprises receiving screen data associated
with screen
output of the second apparatus, and wherein the computer-executable
instructions, when
executed on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform further
operations
comprising presenting the screen data on the display.
18. The apparatus of clause 17, wherein the computer-executable
instructions,
when executed on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform
further
operations comprising:
receiving screen data associated with screen output of the apparatus; and
sending the screen data associated with the screen output of the apparatus to
the
sharing session via the sharing service for delivery to the second apparatus.
19. The apparatus of clause 18, wherein receiving the data from the second
apparatus further comprises receiving application data associated with input
provided to the
second apparatus.
20. The apparatus of clause 19, wherein the computer-executable
instructions,
when executed on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform
further
operations comprising:
receiving application data associated with input of the apparatus; and
sending the screen data associated with the screen output of the apparatus to
the
sharing session via the sharing service for delivery to the second apparatus.
[00123] Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that technologies for
delegating
video game tasks via a sharing service have been presented herein. Although
the subject
matter presented herein has been described in language specific to computer
structural
features, methodological acts, and computer readable media, it is to be
understood that the
invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the
specific features,
acts, or media described herein. Rather, the specific features, acts, and
mediums are
disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
[00124] Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that technologies for
an API for a
sharing service have been presented herein. Although the subject matter
presented herein has
been described in language specific to computer structural features,
methodological acts, and
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computer readable media, it is to be understood that the invention defined in
the appended
claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features, acts, or media
described herein.
Rather, the specific features, acts, and mediums are disclosed as example
forms of
implementing the claims.
[00125] The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration
only and
should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter
is not limited to
implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this
disclosure.
Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described
herein
without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and
described, and
without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention,
which is set forth in
the following claims.
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